The Blog Post You Thought You’d Never See

In all the years of reading animation blogs, I don’t think I’ve ever seen an artist post a tribute to an animation exec. This is a first. Chowder creator C.H. Greenblatt recently wrote some nice words on his blog about the executive in charge of his show, Jay Bastian. It almost makes him sounds human. (I keed…I keed.)

I hope Chowder gets renewed. The fact that even the creator is wary of that is worrisome, to say the least.

That said, that Star Wars drawing kicks ass.

(Miss Endive as Jabba the Hut? OF COURSE!)

http://www.classicparamountcartoons.blogspot.com/ ParamountCartoons

I hear talk cartoonists dig “Star Wars”……

http://mymedicatedlife.blogspot.com/ Bitter Animator

I wish I knew people like that. Instead, I have people who barely even qualify as minority partners, barely above a tea lady (no disrespect to tea ladies – I love tea), throwing out notes left, right and centre on stuff they barely looked at, scripts they read while checking their email or whatever and who have never watched a single episode of the show they think they are qualified to give notes on.

And then they have the balls to tell the creator that some of his stories don’t work because their level of comprehension is well beneath that of the preschool audience for whom is intended.

Every day is a joy.

http://yeldarb86.deviantart.com Mr. Semaj

The mainstream industry needs more executives like this (and this message is for any suits who might be reading this blog anonymously). The shows with a strong bridge of communication and understanding between artists (and in some places writers too) and executives are the ones that will most likely prosper, and for all the right reasons.

http://www.sportingnews.com/blog/mjf7583 Michael F.

Schnitzel was made to play Chewie.

DanO

Jay Bastian was one of the creative execs at Cartoon Network headquarters in Atlanta. He had been there for a very long time. So long that I had to correspond with him way back in 2000 when I was working on “Courage The Cowardly Dog”. About a year ago, maybe less, Cartoon Network insisted that their executives move from Atlanta to Los Angeles in order to have more input in the production of their cartoons. Jay Bastian and another very cool person, Khaki Jones picked up their lives and moved across the country for CN.

Fast forward to the present. Cartoon Network’s stagnant halls are filled with producers who know nothing about animation. So much so that they are launching a half dozen reality shows(which are ‘kid friendly’ copies of shows that we have all already seen on other netwroks) in a sure-to-fail effort of scraping together some semblance of a viewership.

I heard Khaki and Jay have both been let go.

Sam Filstrup

Even though there’s been many Star Wars paradoy episodes among the years I’d love to see a Chowder episode of it.

Kevin Martinez

I bet there are several executives in animation as good as Jay Bastian. It’s just that people waste so much energy criticizing the bad apples, that the good execs are taken for granted.

http://www.sibsy.blogspot.com Sabrina

That’s because anyone who knows Jay Bastian, as I had from working on Ed Edd n Eddy, should know that he’s hands down one of THE the nicest guys in the industry these days. It makes me sad to see him leave CN, but I understood his reasonings.

Neto A.

Startend, reasons for Chowder to be absent from picture:
a – running away from Panini
b – went for a snack
c – he was playing Jabba the Hut, so there was no space for him in the picture
d- couldn’t fit on the ewock costume

Now, about the kind words over an executive, I think there’s just one word to describe this act:
Radda.

http://www.milowerx.com Mike Milo

I was a director on Chowder and yes Jay was a nice guy. I didn’t take notes from him directly but he was well liked on our crew as far as I knew. Most people at the studio were sad to see him go along with Khaki Jones. As for CH Greenblatt being nice, he is hands down the nicest boss I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with.

http://rwentworth.blogspot.com Richard Wentworth

Man, and his previous post is sad too — Chowder and Flapjack are two of the best animated shows on TV right now… for those shows to be on the chopping block, you’ve gotta think Cartoon Network will be changing its name to Network very soon. Big loss. Wonder who’ll swoop in to fill in that gap?

http://scottmorse.blogspot.com Scott Morse

Jay and Khaki are BOTH extremely great people AND execs. It’s too bad that CN is careening well past the speed limit down the road they’re on.

Lauren

Jay and Khaki and are nothing short of AMAZING to work with. Wherever they go, I recommend we should follow.

CartoonWatchingParent

Noooo!!! Horrors! Tragedy!

At first, I was moved to laugh out loud at the SW pic, and then cry when I followed the link to Greenblatt’s blog and read his thoughts on the longevity of Flapjack and Chowder.

My 8 yr old will be devastated should they cancel either of those terrific shows. He is utterly disinterested in the reality shows they are producing this summer and I would wager he is an excellent barometer of their targeted audience. We are a cartoon loving household an CN seems to be doing everything in their power to drive us off by shuttering their best content.

Enoch Allen

Good execs don’t go unrewarded.

I believe they will prosper in the other areas of the industry where they and their skills and desirable temperaments are needed.

http://www.frankpanucci.com FP

CLONE WARS ought to do a STAR WARS parody episode. That might be a stretch, though.

Adam

Believe it, Cartoon Brew. There are a few good animation execs out there, and Jay Bastian and Khaki Jones are at the top of the list. It’s a tragedy that after 11 years and 22 years, respectively, CN didn’t know what they had in them.

DanO

CN is probably going to be annexed within a year.

The people running that channels have proven that they do not have what it takes to create original animated programming. Now they are betting the house that they can be a success by aiming as low as possible(with already proven reality show programs) and again they will fail.
What are they going to do then? Go back to animation? Why? They’ve already given up.
They are going to give Adult Swim a channel and shut down CN.

http://saturdaymorningcentral.com Tommy

We don’t get any TV channels at home (our choice), but every time I visit my Mom or Mother-in-law, I watch Chowder. I’d never heard of it until a few months ago, and I love it to death.

Antonucci

Jay is the shit, he made every tortured day producing a show for CN a joy. I’d fuck him.

http://hurtermonkey.blogspot.com/ Maxwell Atoms

When Jay and Khaki left, it was the best thing to happen to everyone in animation except Cartoon Network. Including Jay and Khaki. And, yeah… what Antonucci said.

Tim McKeon

I don’t know much, but I know I love Jay Bastian and Khaki Jones. Great execs and great people who genuinely love animation. It has been a joy working with them, and I hope I can again one day.

Animation Slave

Jay and Khaki were AWESOME! Maybe it’s because they’re from Atlanta, you know… Southern Hospitality. If any big execs at the other studios are reading this – you’re stupid if you don’t hire them.